


To Honor the Fallen, To Cherish the Living

by HazelGatoya



Series: Stories for Shigure Comissions [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst, Azama is a troll, Azura better give birth soon, Dorkiness thy name is Corrin, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Journal Entries, OCs - Freeform, Pregnancy, Revelations, Revelations Spoilers, Shigure is cute again, Slight Canon Divergence, TONS OF STORIES, War, armies, stories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-28 02:46:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13894575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HazelGatoya/pseuds/HazelGatoya
Summary: Another commission requested by the mighty Baneofloslorien on Deviantart. :D Shigure gets a day out with his dad after the latter slips up and angers Azura. He gets plenty of stories about romance out there, along with a bit of his history that his father didn't share before...





	1. More Family Stories

**Author's Note:**

> OH BOY, it's finally finished and I had way too much fun with it! Hope you guys enjoy this little follow-up to Old Tales and New Wishes. I love comments, so be sure to leave some down below! :D

     It's been a little over five years since the War of the Silent Dragon ended, and since then, the kingdoms of Hoshido, Nohr, and their new neighbor, New Valla, have been working hard to make certain nothing of the like ever happens again. Tensions still exist amongst them to this day, though this can only be expected after so many centuries of misconceptions and bad blood. The tales of Hoshidans and Nohrians fighting side by side during the great war still exist as well, however, as do the unions of marriage among both royal families. Trade agreements beneficial to all three countries were quickly forged, and the kingdoms are healing far more quickly than they ever could ever have managed on their own. They know this is for the best, and so, at long last, peace seems to have come to this troubled land, and the strife and peril of the past appears quite distant indeed.  
  
     "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"  
  
     ...Until now.  
  
     Corrin, supreme commander of the War of the Silent Dragon, wielder of the Fire Emblem and King of Valla was not fazed by many things of this world. The grand exception of that rule being his wife when she was angry, which was why he was currently fleeing for his life through the halls of Valla Castle.  
  
     "I have  _had_  it with these pregnancy jokes!" Azura shrieked after him, her normally lovely voice shrill with rage as she waddled after her sprinting husband in an ungainly but menacing fashion. "I don't  _need_ a larger maternity dress, for the gods' sakes, I only have one more month of this! Get back here, you absolutely lousy excuse of a half-man!"  
  
     "Kaze!" Corrin skidded to a halt at the bottom of the stairs, panting. "Can you- the others won't-"  
  
     "Help at all?" the ninja supplied dryly, a smile quirking on his lips that told Corrin all he needed to know. The ninja wouldn't be getting involved in this either. "I assume Jakob and Flora already said no."  
  
     " _CORRIN!_ "  
  
     Corrin squawked in alarm when Azura appeared at the top of the stairs, looking down them with both apprehension and a very real furious determination on her face. "I think we can walk for our lives," Kaze remarked thoughtfully when she carefully stepped down the first stair.  
  
     "You are all  _awful,_ " Corrin snapped over his shoulder as he sprinted away from the staircase.   
  
     "Good luck, sire," was the only response he got in return from his retainer.  
  
     He continued sprinting through the castle toward the front gates, praying that the stairs would slow down his furious wife, noting a short head of blue hair as he was nearing the entrance and snatching up the boy it belonged to, sticking him under his arm. Shigure looked absolutely bewildered as to why he was suddenly being carried at high speeds toward the exit, but only for a moment before realization crossed his young face. "Not again!" he moaned.  
  
     "Sorry, kiddo, but I'm not leaving you in here with your mom on the warpath," Corrin explained hastily.  
  
     "No, you just want a shield from her wrath!" Shigure snapped. "Where are we going?"  
  
     "Away from here!" Corrin threw open the doors to the castle, still sprinting full-tilt toward the royal coach. The driver stood up straight, looking at the king with something like alarm. "We're leaving," Corrin told him, opening the door and basically shoving Shigure into the interior of the coach.  
  
     "Where to, sire?"  
  
     "Somewhere else. Anywhere else!" Corrin vaulted into the coach after his son, slamming the door. Not one minute later, the coach was moving at a good pace, out of the gates of Valla Castle and into the kingdom itself.  
  
     For a while, there was no sound but the sound of the coach and Corrin's heavy breathing that slowly calmed over time. Once his heart stopped threatening to beat itself out of his chest, he glanced to his son and promptly winced. Shigure was staring straight ahead, both arms and legs crossed so tightly it looked like they might never move from that position, cheeks puffed out in a spectacular pout. "Look, kiddo..." Shigure turned toward him with a glare that was very much like his mother's, and Corrin grimaced once again. "Okay, maybe this wasn't the best idea."  
  
     "Oh, you think?" his son muttered in a way that was more reminiscient of Takumi than either of his parents.   
  
     "But you and I both know that when your mother's on the warpath, the best place to be is far away from her."  
  
     "She shouldn't be on the warpath on the first place," Shigure snapped. "You had one month until the baby came. One!"  
  
     "Son-" Shigure turned away, facial expression becoming a puffy pout once again, and Corrin's words trailed off into another sigh. "Look, I'm sorry I dragged you into this. I just... panicked." Shigure gave him another glare. "Yes, I know I always panic, and yes I know this time was particularly bad." Corrin turned away this time. "Believe me, I don't think I've been this embarrassed since the after-war party in Nohr."  
  
     Shigure was silent for another moment, but then the pout gave way to a grin, and he turned away with a small giggle. "It wasn't funny," Corrin told him indignantly.  
  
     "Uncle Leo thought it was," Shigure replied, giggling more when he looked up at him. "He said that it was what you justly deserved after that mess back at home, and everyone else agreed. Even Mother kind of smiled, and the kids loved you."  
  
     "You're a kid too, you know," Corrin grumbled.   
  
     "I'm the Prince of Valla, the kingdom that is the great bridge between night and day and son of the greatest, kindest king of all time." His son's tone was innocent, but Corrin could see the mischief on his face. "Even if he often has to put his foot in his mouth. I have a reputation to uphold."  
  
     "Those are your mother's words, I know they are. And not within your family, you don't. And if you were so concerned about reputations, you'd have been as mortified as I was," the king of Valla scoffed. "One does not simply take a form akin to those of the First Dragons and let poor children climb all over them. Or do tricks for them and give them rides. I could literally hear the First Dragons rolling in their graves, and I swear that the Dusk Dragon statue was giving me the evil eye when I went to pray for forgiveness. I still can't believe that Xander, Ryoma and Sakura were convinced to allow that to happen."  
  
     "Aunt Sakura was one of the ones really encouraging it, I think that King Xander, Queen Hinoka and King Ryoma were the only ones that really needed convincing," Shigure pointed out, grin fading a bit as he thought back to the actual discussion leading up to this. "Something about it being for the good of Nohr. And besides, they were mad about what happened at our after-war party, so they didn't need much convincing."  
  
     "Right." Corrin brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Sakura and Leo's work often brings them into direct contact with the underprivileged. If she thought it would make them happier, she'd definitely be for it. I wish they'd kept it to Elise's tea party, though, the children seemed to enjoy that about as much."  
  
     "Almost as much," Shigure corrected, tilting his head. "Aunt Elise and Uncle Takumi seem to be rather fixated on tea parties. There's one at almost every family gathering."  
  
     "It's just your aunt," Corrin replied. "Takumi is begrudgingly fond of them because it was over tea parties that he really got to know Elise. He even proposed to her at one." Shigure's golden eyes lit up as he uncrossed his legs and arms and scooted closer to Corrin, a hopeful expression on his face. The king couldn't help but smile at his son, sitting up in the seat. Shigure was far easier to pacify than Azura, at least. He was fondly reminded of the time that he'd told him about Ryoma's and Camilla's post-war date. The Hoshidan king had introduced his then-paramour to his culture, including the martial arts. Camilla, ever the scrappy fighter, had learned quickly and even beaten Ryoma in a sparring match, though Corrin left out the traumatizing details of why. Azura had still been mad that he'd come that close to mentioning how Camilla's chest didn't fit her  _gi,_ and he'd gotten a few nights on the couch for it, but seeing his son's eyes light up after he'd had a bad day had been more than worth it.  
  
     "All right, all right. From the beginning, I assume?" The boy nodded vigorously. "All right, as you already know, Sakura and Elise were quick to become friends after Elise joined the march to Old Valla. Sakura was a little taken aback by how enthusiastic Elise was, but they clicked quickly nonetheless. Elise then turned her attention to Takumi, who wanted nothing to do with the Nohrian family." Shigure blinked. "He's mellowed in the last five years. A lot. Anyways, Elise asked Sakura for advice on how to get through to Takumi, and started bringing him things that she thought that he might like. He of course was having none of it, even though Elise's gifts were definitely things that he liked."  
  
     "Oh, is this what he meant about everyone being idiots before you started the family history?" Shigure asked.  
  
     "Pretty much, yes." Corrin chuckled. "Eventually, after a couple of accidents and Sakura and I talking him down, we managed to convince him to actually spend time with your aunt. And, after several tea parties, he proposed to her. And no, I don't know the details because whenever Elise tries to explain it she talks so loudly and quickly and turns in circles while bouncing through the air that I feel like I have vertigo, and Takumi just doesn't explain that sort of stuff. He embarrassed easily back then... he still does, actually."  
  
     "That sounds like it all happened rather quickly. Why was Aunt Elise so insistent on getting to know him?"  
  
     "Something or other about Sakura managing to be on civil terms with Leo practically the moment they met. Since Elise has always viewed Leo as a "big meanie," she was thoroughly impressed and wanted to do the same with Takumi."  
  
     "How did Uncle Leo and Aunt Sakura fall in love, then?" Shigure asked. "Did it really start all the way back in Izumo when he saved her?"  
  
     "Details are scarce on this one," Corrin warned. "Both of them are rather private people, which you could probably tell." Shigure just blinked up at him, and he chuckled softly. "But I'll tell you what I do know. I don't know how much of their relationship stemmed from what happened in Izumo, but Sakura  _was_ a lot more tolerant of Leo than the rest of the Hoshidan side of the family. As such, he didn't have much trouble talking to her, and she started calling him only by his first name when he told her that he didn't mind her doing so. Something that surprised me long before they actually became friends. Let's see... I think I first saw them really start to interact after Sakura began coming to our strategy meetings just behind Leo. Everyone was shocked, due to the fact that she hated the bloodshed the most out of all of us, but she was quick to explain that she was there to better gauge how to help the injured after the battle was over. After a few of these meetings, she was even beginning to point out ways to help our soldiers avoid injury before the battle even began. I cornered Leo after this happened a couple of times, since she had never shown an interest in strategy before they started coming to meetings together, and asked him what on earth was going on."  
  
     "What did he say?"  
  
     "That he'd greatly underestimated Sakura's strength." Corrin couldn't help a small smile. "Apparently they often met on his route to those strategy meetings, and they'd had a conversation about her lack of presence there. He told her that he understood her not wanting to come, but as it's Leo, he went as far to say that a gentle soul like her had no place on the battlefield."  
  
     "And Aunt Elise  _did_?" His son blinked.  
  
     "Sakura was only beginning to learn to use the yumi to defend herself when we entered Valla," Corrin explained. "There aren't  _just_ healers in Nohr, you see... they can't afford such a liability. Elise can ride from danger since she's a troubadour, maids and butlers are proficient in both cleaning and knifework... well, Felicia and Flora are a bit of an exception to that  _both_ bit, but you understand what I'm trying to say. Sakura's only purpose on the field was healing, so while she was our best healer, it still made Leo and everyone else leery of placing her in harm's way. So after he spoke to her, she decided that she had best be doing more, and started walking with him to those meetings, and even began talking strategy with him. Establishing a pattern of attack and defense that they still use in their work against Nohr's criminals today." Shigure nodded thoughtfully. "He also admitted in that conversation that he felt a peace when he was around Sakura that he'd never felt around anyone else, as well as that she'd proved him wrong without really proving him wrong." Shigure tilted his head with a small frown of confusion. "What he'd seen as weakness on her part, cherishing life so much that she didn't want to see anyone die, turned into strength when she began taking efforts to try and save others on the battlefield. He was impressed, and as I can attest, that doesn't happen often As such, it didn't surprise me at all when Niles caught them kissing two weeks later."  
  
     "So their relationship hasn't changed at all," Shigure remarked softly.  
  
     "I wouldn't say that. On the surface, no, it hasn't, but there's always been more to their relationship than meets the eye... something that could be said for all relationships, I think, but especially theirs." Shigure nodded, and Corrin couldn't help but smile, seeing that his son still obviously had something on his mind. "What else do you want to ask?"  
  
     "Niles caught them kissing, huh? What did the retainers think about all the romance flying about?"  
  
     Corrin actually snorted, putting a hand over his mouth. "Okay... I got a couple good ones here," he admitted. "You remember Azama, right?"  
  
     "Aunt Hinoka's really rude witch-doctor man?"  
  
     His father laughed. "Yes, that's the one. Anyhow, he did not approve of Xander dating Hinoka, and was sure to tell him so on a daily basis. There was one incident though..." Corrin shook his head. "Okay, so Hinoka had gone after Setsuna, who we were pretty sure had gotten caught in a hunting trap. After Hinoka didn't come back, Xander went after  _her,_ with Azama in close pursuit. Now, you know that your uncle doesn't anger easily compared to others in the family, but when you have someone trailing behind you, listing all of your flaws and why you aren't worthy of the woman that you're courting, and he goes on and on for three hours...."  
  
    "Uh-oh."  
  
    "Uh-oh, indeed. They found Hinoka, dangling in a net trap high in a tree after those three hours and were about to get her down when Azama made another snide remark, and at that point Xander just snapped. He chased after Azama, far more focused on getting him to shut up than getting Hinoka down, so your aunt had to wait until the branch broke to get down. She found Setsuna caught in a snare trap, but after trying to head back to the camp, they both fell into a pit trap, were stuck there for  _another_ three hours before a calmer Xander and bruised Azama found them. Your aunt was  _not_ happy at the end of it all, and after about nine hours of this entire mess, neither was I. Hilarious in hindsight, though."  
  
    "What did Laslow and Peri think about their relationship, then?" Shigure asked.  
  
    "Oh, they were completely fine with it. Peri adored Hinoka from the beginning, and Laslow insisted that as long as Xander was happy, he was happy. Azama and Hana were the only two whose reactions were really noteworthy."  
  
     "Oh yeah, Hana is super protective of Aunt Sakura, isn't she?"  
  
     "Extremely. Niles only shared the kissing tidbit with me, Azura and Odin when he caught them, so the rest of the camp could only guess at how close they were getting. Hana cornered Leo about a day afterwards, asking what exactly he thought that he was plotting by spending so much time with her. Subaki came along as well, being concerned, and Leo admitted that they were thinking of courting, but that he was planning on receiving their blessings along with all of her siblings before and if things got serious between them. Subaki was suitably impressed, Hana was not. She'd chased several "opportunistic" boyfriends away from Sakura before, but after Odin and Niles intervened in the conversation, Leo was able to escape with Subaki's help and Sakura and Hana were able to talk out how she also felt about him. Nowadays she teases them by asking where the cute nieces they promised her are, so everything worked out."  
  
    Shigure grinned. "I don't understand grownups."  
  
    "I don't really understand them either," Corrin admitted. "And I am one, so maybe it's impossible.  
  
     Shigure just giggled, untroubled by the fact that he'd likely never understand grownups. They were  _hilarious._ He opened his mouth to ask another question, and then paused, his gaze lighting on something behind Corrin. "Father, what is that?" he asked, bringing a finger up to point outside the window.  
  
     Corrin turned his head, red eyes lighting on the large white shrine that had caught his son's attention. "Oho," he breathed softly, a soft, wistful smile flickering across his features before he stuck his head out the window. "Driver, take us to the monument please," he called, and the coach soon turned onto a road that led to the shrine. "You'll like this, trust me."  
  
     Interest piqued, Shigure followed his father out of the carriage when it stopped, waiting for him to finish a discussion with the driver before following him toward the shrine. He was unable to help noting the sudden solemnity in the air as they stepped into the marble building. The interior was simple, perfectly symmetrical with two display cases on either side of an obelisk covered in engravings. He stepped closer, looking up and seeing that those engravings were names. The first two at the top, right under a title, were larger than the others. "Those Who Fell in the Silent War...Daimyo Genji and Margrave Lann..." he read aloud. "Father, who are these people?"  
  
     "The answer is at your feet."  
  
     Shigure glanced down, finding a plaque set into the base of the obelisk, his golden eyes making quick work of reading the text.  _While the Three Kings struck at the Silent Dragon's head, these honored dead fell at his claws._  "...That's not much of an answer, Father," he remarked with a small frown.   
  
     "Heh, no, I suppose not."  
  
     "What is the Silent War, anyways?" he asked, turning to see Corrin moving over to one of the displays. "And who are these people that fell at the dragon's claws?"  
  
     "It's a metaphor for those who weren't with us in Valla." Corrin gestured him over to the display, and Shigure came over eagerly. "To translate: while Xander, Ryoma, and I were leading the assault in Old Valla against Anankos himself, he sent his Invisible Soldiers up here. Something we had no idea had happened just before we entered Gyges Castle Proper."  
  
     "Before you defeated Grandmother Mikoto," Shigure was quick to realize. "Why didn't you mention this during the story?"  
  
     "You would have wanted me to elaborate and the story was already dragging on long enough." Corrin raised a hand when Shigure opened his mouth to protest. "It's the truth and you know it, kiddo. It's better told through the words of someone who actually lived it, anyways." His raised hand gestured to a rough-bound book on the display, a book that had obviously been well-cared for if carried through a great many elements. Shigure gasped, hands going up toward his face in excitement, and Corrin grinned. "Noirtier is a  _much_ better storyteller than I am anyways." He carefully took the book off of the display, and sat down on the floor. "I can trust you to handle this with care, right?"  
  
     "Of course!" Shigure sat down next to him, gently taking the book and opening to the first page. "You'll help me with the longer words, right?"  
  
     "It would be very rude of me not to," his father agreed with a soft chuckle.  
  
     Shigure turned his full attention to the first sentence of the journal, the handwriting concise, sharp, and no-nonsense, which made it very easy to read.   
  
_14th day of The Virgin Maid, 1479 NR (Nohrian Reckoning)_  
  
      _It has now been two full days since the disappearance of our general, Crown Prince Xander..._


	2. More War History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another commission requested by the mighty Baneofloslorien on Deviantart. :D Shigure gets a day out with his dad after the latter slips up and angers Azura. He gets plenty of stories about romance out there, along with a bit of his history that his father didn't share before...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's where that Angst and War stuff kicks in. Hope you enjoy. :)

      _The rest of the royal family save for King Garon has vanished as well. Without a trace or word of warning. I have my suspicions that the odd prince that wished to destroy both Hoshido and Nohr has something to do with all of this, but it could as easily be because the skies above these warring countries have changed. There's been much confusion for these past two days, but the Nohrian army has united under His Majesty's constant call for Hoshido's destruction and General Margrave Lann's leadership. Now, we march for the glory of Nohr once again._  
  
     Nortier tucked the journal back into his bag that held his two most trusted tomes, Fimbulvetr and Excalibur, just as General Lann's wyvern stalked up to pause next to him and his horse. "Last minute plans, Noirtier?" he asked by way of greeting.  
  
     "What I was writing is more akin to notes of our situation," Noirtier replied dryly. "My plans for the engagement our scouts told us to expect at the border shall serve."  
  
     The wyvern lord gave a sharp nod. "Good man." He looked ahead at the windswept grass, icy blue eyes narrowing slightly. The landscape here was far greener than what either man, or anyone in this army, was accustomed to seeing- most border skirmishes occurred near Izumo or the Bottomless Canyon. The one attack on the border so close to Hoshido's Fort Jinya had been initiated by the crown prince himself, an attack he'd had to retreat from when the wyvern brigade had fallen to his treacherous adoptive brother. "We march in five minutes. Tell those controlling the Faceless to keep their beasts in line until we see the Hoshidan army."  
  
     "Of course, sir." Noirtier clapped a fist to his chest in salute, and turned his horse to go speak to the sorcerers of the army. Vile beasts the Faceless may have been, but they had been an essential part of the Nohrian army since the late Queen Mikoto had put up the magic barrier between their countries and stalled the war. Since the barrier had died with her, men could now fight as they should, but more manpower was never a bad idea, especially when trying to win a war with as few casualties as possible.  
  
     Within those five minutes, the army was completely in formation and marching. The bulky, Chained Faceless in the very front with the Stoneborn rumbling just behind, and after them were the cavalry and sword wielding mercenaries. Behind the main melee group were the sorcerers controlling the Faceless and the bow-wielding outlaws, and behind them the wyverns slunk along the grass, waiting to launch themselves into the air once the Hoshidan army came into view. It was a good set-up, one that likely wouldn't fail if the scout's reports about the enemy's numbers had been correct.  
  
     The Faceless in front immediately began moaning and growling as soon as the river and the Hoshidan flags came into view, and the wyverns screamed, launching themselves off of the ground. "Forward!" General Lann roared over the din, and Noirtier snapped his fingers at the sorcerers, who were quick to gesture the Faceless and Stoneborn toward the charging spear fighters and samurai.   
  
     A hail of arrows soared up toward the wyverns, those that missed falling into the Nohrian ranks. "Return fire!" Nortier called, and arrows whizzed over his head toward the Hoshidan pegasus and kinshi knights that were now clashing with the wyverns, noting grimly that the spirits of the diviners were beginning to slam into the Faceless along with the actual troops. The Hoshidans' tactics were clumsy, but they were still fighting back valiantly.   
  
     He was just raising his hand to order the sorcerers to start the sending the Stoneborn ahead of the Faceless to crush the physical troops when it happened. People suddenly contorting on both sides of the river, blood spurting from what looked to be lance and sword wounds straight through their midsections, yet there was no sign of assailant or weapon. Pegasi and wyverns alike were falling from the sky, struck dead seemingly by nothing, but he could see the evidence of wounds. These uncanny events were suddenly overshadowed by the fact that the Stoneborn and Faceless were  _turning around...  
  
     _Noirtier sent a spell from Fimbulvetr screaming toward one of the Stoneborn when it made to drop a rock on a rapidly scattering battalion. It groaned when the ice hit its face, reeling back, the boulder thudding harmlessly to the ground. "What is happening?" he shouted back toward the sorcerers that  _hadn't_ been mysteriously impaled.   
  
     "I don't know!" one of the women wailed, making desperate gestures with her hands at the Faceless. "Our control... it just snapped!"  
  
     "There's something blocking us, sir!" a wild-eyed man added, and Noirtier blinked when he saw something shimmer behind him. "Some other mag-"   
  
     He was impaled before he could finished his sentence, and the blood spattered on both an invisible naginata... and man? "Retreat!" General Lann roared over the panicked screams of both men and mounts.  
  
     "We're surrounded!" came a panicked shout from the back.  
  
     "Retreat!" another voice, this one with a Hoshidan accent, ordered from the other side of the river. "Fight your way through the invisible enemies if you have to, but if we stay here, we are truly dead!"  
  
     "The air shimmers around these things!" Noirtier yelled, wheeling his mare around, Fimbulvetr still in hand. "Fight through as best you can, know that your life depends on it! Everyone  _move left!_ " The air was relatively normal in that direction, only minimal signs of the slight haze that was coming from the northwest.  
  
     The army scrambled in that direction in possibly the most undignified retreat in Nohrian history, but then, there had never been circumstances such as these recorded in that history. Noirtier mainly used his staff, shouting orders to the others as he healed those who weren't killed instantly by either the Faceless or the invisible menace in tandem with the general himself. All they could do was run, to the left and across the river into Hoshidan territory until the enemy was out of sight. "There's a ruined village a few miles east of here," General Lann called down. "We regroup there, attack no one if you see them there."  
  
     It was necessary that they regroup somewhere close, no matter who might be there. Noirtier was breathing about as harshly as his mare and the foot soldiers at this point, his throat raw from shouting. The gem on his heal staff glowing dully. Its power was almost depleted already. It had only been one battle, and it wasn't like he'd used it for mere scratches. Regardless of most of the army being in as bad of shape or worse than he currently was, they moved, knowing that if they were caught somewhere without shelter, they were as good as dead.  
  
     It didn't take long for them to find the ruined town, thank the Dusk Dragon. Unfortunately, it seemed to already be occupied by Hoshidans. The two men standing in front of the blackened gates were obviously Hoshidan and also obviously not happy to see a Nohrian army marching toward them. They were quick to brandish a sword and spear at them. "Back!" the spear fighter snapped. "There's no room for the main Nohrian forces here."  
  
     " _Main_ Nohrian forces?" The army parted so that General Lann's wyvern was allowed to slink forward toward the two. "As in there are other Nohrians here?" he questioned.  
  
     "People from the Ice Tribe and the eastern territories can be ignored, but we were just in battle with you!" the spear fighter responded angrily. "We chose this village to recover in, find your own!"  
  
     " _Are_ there any other villages nearby?" one of the soldiers called from the ranks. "We can't move much further, we have wounded too."  
  
     "Doesn't matter, you're the-"  
  
     "Stop, stop,  _stop._ "  
  
     The men immediately lowered their weapons at the annoyed, stern voice coming from behind them, stepping aside as a swordsmaster stepped through the ruined gate. The man looked General Lann up and down, and heaved a sigh. "You really are the troops that we just engaged at the border. You look to be in worse shape than we are."  
  
     "We weren't expecting the Faceless to turn on us as well as whatever else happened back there," General Lann replied. "I'm assuming that you're the Hoshidan troops' commander."  
  
     "General Daimyo Genji," the swordsmaster replied promptly, his dark eyes still narrowed. "And you are?"  
  
     "General Margrave Lann, stand-in for the main forces of Nohr in Crown Prince Xander's absence."  
  
     "Hmm." The two soldiers behind General Genji looked at each other, evidently startled. "Well... loathe as I am to share an area with Nohrians, it may serve us better to discuss what happened back there.."  
  
     "Sir-" the spear fighter protested, but General Genji merely had to lift his hand to quiet him, and both he and the samurai stepped to the side.  
  
     "I will say this, though." The swordsmaster turned back just slightly, his black eyes narrowed in a steely cold glare.. "Any trouble from you and your men- any at all- and I will not hesitate to allow my men to cut you down."  
  
     "Fair enough," General Lann agreed equally coldly. "We'll give you no trouble. We're as angry about this situation as you are."  
  
     After a silent staring match, the swordsmaster finally led the way into the tiny, almost nonexistent village. Noirtier stared around the surrounding area critically, noting grimly that even with so many people here, there was very little cover. But a little cover was better than no cover, an idea many of the people here seemed to share. Wind Tribe, Ice Tribe, another Nohrian Battalion, what appeared to be an entire clan of ninjas and even the people of Izumo. All of them were sporting wounds and grim faces. "We may want to have the people questioned, sir," he remarked, dismounting from his exhausted mare and placing a gentle hand on her heaving flank. "It appears that those beings we encountered at the border aren't limited to one area."  
  
     General Lann was silent for a moment, and his wyvern rumbled underneath him. "You're right," he replied after a moment. "We need a better grasp on our situation." He gestured for the army to break rank, and they moved to their own corner of the village, one of the maids coming up and taking Noirtier's mare with a slight dip of her head. Noirtier took his journal from his bag again, pausing when General Genji approached them again.  
  
     "Your royal family is missing too, then?" he questioned without preamble, and Noirtier blinked. "Or is it just the crown prince?"  
  
     " _Too?_ " General Margrave arched one dark eyebrow. "It's all four of the siblings that have vanished, it's the same in Hoshido, then?"  
  
     "It is." General Genji brought a hand up to his long, graying brown beard, expression thoughtful. "Our strategist, Yukimura, is currently running the kingdom, he said that the four siblings are out on more important business. Business that could plausibly win the war. We all have our doubts, as that two-faced "chosen hero" and the songstress maiden are likely involved in the royal family's decision, but they've vanished and that's that."  
  
     "Prince Corrin's involvement in the disappearance of both families is nigh unquestionable at this point," Noirtier agreed. "Lady Camilla was already with him even before the rest of the family vanished, and there's been neither word nor rumor of his whereabouts in two days either."  
  
     General Genji eyed him questioningly. "Ah, this is my tactician, Noirtier," General Margrave explained. "I command the army, he's the one who handles spies and long-range strategics. We were about to question the people about the beings we encountered at the border."  
  
     "Another difference in how armies in our countries are run, I see," General Genji mused. "And that's likely a good idea. Whatever happened involved both countries, so I'll be coming with you. Let's see what we can learn."  
  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
     "They  _really_ didn't like you back then, Father," Shigure remarked, looking up from the journal.  
  
     "I don't really blame them." Corrin chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Iago and Yukimura both hated me and everything I stood for back in the day, and they were the major tacticians of both kingdoms. It's no wonder that ire was passed along to the soldiers."  
  
     Shigure nodded, turning back to the words on the paper.   
  
 _16th day of The Twins, 1479 NR._ _  
  
As we had the people questioned, my hypothesis for what had caused all of them to flee to this village was confirmed. The names were different, the Hoshidans had come to the consensus that the invisible beings were "Yokai" while our fellow Nohrians had taken to calling them "Ungeist." The beings have been cropping up everywhere, apparently. The Hoshidans all have the intent of fleeing to Fort Jinya while the other Nohrians here are just taking shelter. Evidently they were part of a battalion that was advancing through Southern Hoshido before they were routed by the creatures and had to flee here.  
  
     However, as things stand, moving from this village is not exactly a wise decision when we have no idea where those beings may crop up next. We're not certain what to do next, and it seems as though everyone has different ideas. _There was actually a slight slash after that paragraph, and as Shigure read on, he realized that Noirtier had placed it there to mark that time had passed. The first sentence wouldn't have made much sense otherwise.  
  
      _I don't think I've ever been so exhausted in all of my life. I also never thought that I would be so relieved to see a heavily guarded Hoshidan fort. I don't know how much time I have left to write, honestly, it seems as though the world itself is coming to an end. Hoshidans and Nohrians working together. I saw the unspoken question in all of the eyes of the men, of what the world is coming to that we could fight side by side. I remember wondering almost in response how many of us would live long enough to care._  
  
 _More to the point: the discordant discussion of what we all were to do regarding this new enemy was both interrupted and consequently answered by the Ungeist themselves, along with what seemed to be far more Faceless than our army originally brought to the border. In the spur of the moment, both generals agreed almost instantaneously that we needed to combine our efforts to beat back the enemy or die. It was a matter of seconds to call everyone to ranks, General Genji calling all of the Hoshidans into order and the second Nohrian battalion not hesitating to join ranks with ours. Even those from Izumo joined the fight, staying near the rear of the army with the Hoshidan basuras and diviners, bravely healing where they could when necessary and providing essential first aid. The people of that neutral country have more mettle in the moment than I ever could have imagined, knowing what their late archduke was like._  
  
 _It was soon evident that we would have to abandon the village in order to survive the onslaught,_ _the enemy's numbers were simply too great_ _. Normally changing formation so drastically would be impossible without great risk, but the Wind Tribe and ninjas from Mokushu were just as unpredictable and ruthless against the Ungeist as I remembered them being against us. They hadn't been a part of the formation for the entire battle, and so they with the wyvern riders and pegasus knights were able to buy us enough time to form a triangle, our melee fighters on the edges and our mages and healers in the center so that we could fight on all sides._  
  
     "I feel bad for those people in the back," Shigure murmured, he could somewhat picture what Noirtier was talking about. "They'd have to fight while walking backwards, right?"  
  
     "They would," Corrin agreed. "And that  _is_ extremely awkward to do, but remember that those people walking backwards had people behind them that could help them keep going in the right direction while they focused entirely on fighting. I was actually a part of such triangles back when we were fighting in Valla, but on a much smaller scale. Just three people, not three walls protecting the rest of the army. They're effective when you're surrounded."  
  
     Shigure nodded thoughtfully, turning back to the descriptions of the battle.  _With the healers and long-range attackers protected, we managed to cut through the Ungeist and Faceless. We were honestly lucky that we were able to stop all of the boulders flung at our formation, whoever took hold of those Faceless has at least_ some  _tactical training. It was the Wind Tribe and the Hoshidans that were the deciding factor in our victory, though to hear it from them, it was General Lann's aerial combat acumen and my tactics that truly got us through the horde of enemies. It's surreal, honestly. Working together is one thing, but respecting each other is another entirely._  
  
Shigure gave a small smile when he read those words. He wondered if this was similar to how the bonds between his aunts and uncles had begun to form back in Valla. Mutual respect seemed to grow from fighting side-by-side, he'd heard as much from both of his parents, but reading an example of it just confirmed his family history further.  _While there is no clear explanation as to what these beings actually are, the danger they pose is obvious. We can't leave them be, knowing the damage they are capable of causing. We march in the morning. While we want to get out there as soon as possible to deal with the problem, there is no possible way that the soldiers can move another step after today. The generals themselves are also at their limit, and we need to replenish our supply of weapons anyways._  
  
     The next entry was a simple explanation of inventory and formation, and stated that while they ran into only a few Faceless as they headed toward Macarath. "Where is Macarath?" Shigure asked.  
  
     "Ah, I'd need a map." Corrin grimaced lightly. "It's a Nohrian town where Palace Macarath is located. It served as one of King Garon's personal villas back in the day. I personally have never been there, though your aunts have told me it's a very pretty little village by Nohrian standards."  
  
     Shigure turned back to the book, reading another entry for the next day that was much like the one before it, only it also talked about various soldier's recoveries and had a few musings for strategies that were now possible. The next one was a bit different, though.   
  
      _1st day of The Scales, 1479 NR.  
_  
 _We stepped into Nohrian territory this morning and have been marching through it all of today. Around noon, our Hoshidan allies were all looking rather confused. When asked why, they mentioned the bleak climate and were wondering if this was all the work of the Ungeist and Faceless. We had to explain that our lands have been like this since the turn of the last century, and even before then, we've had trouble growing crops. This lead to a far more astonished reaction from them than I expected, and a faint muttering of understanding of why such sensible men could listen to their mad king's orders to conquer. We chose not to press the matter of King Garon as to prevent infighting, and General Genji was quick to hush his men. One of the basaras then asked if the soil was so poor, why not use solution culture so that crops could grow without soil._  
  
 _It was our turn to be perplexed. I'd never heard of growing crops without soil, and the rest of the soldiers were quick to start asking questions of what exactly the Hoshidans meant as we continued to march. It took some deliberation, and one of the men had to condense the multiple explanations that were offered, basically saying that there was a technique for growing crops with only water and nutrients inside of it. Something that could revolutionize farming in our country, something that could keep us fed without having to rely entirely on other territories. I'll write it down in detail when I have more time, though likely not in this book, because I believe that conversation is the happiest accident in Nohrian history._  
  
     "Um-"  
  
     "The name for that solution culture is hydroponics now," Corrin replied before Shigure could even ask, grinning again. "It was developed by Izumo and shared with Hoshido before the war started. Do you remember how Nohr began trading its gemstones for Hoshido's farming techniques after the war?" Shigure nodded vigorously. "This is how that got started, and it's why the peace is unlikely to dissolve this time on top of all the intermarriages. Nohr finally has ways to grow a bountiful harvest, and Shirasagi quickly received the funds that it needed to be rebuilt from selling gemstones to the people. The beautiful stones were basically unheard of in Hoshido up until that point."  
  
     Shigure nodded again, quickly turning back to Noirtier's account, flipping to the next entry.   
  
      _3rd day of The Scales, 1479 NR.  
_  
 _We hit a wall of foes as soon as we came into Macarath, and have been fighting them off ever since. All of yesterday was spend clearing the foe from the area and keeping them away from the town's borders. The Hoshidans' ability to simply adapt to situations and create a fluid formation that actually works will likely never cease to amaze me, and I'm beyond grateful that our troops are taking a leaf out of their book and learning to do the same. There were far less casualties this time_ _than when we first ran afoul of this enemy_ _, and I believe it's because they're becoming easier for the entire army to read._

  
_Now is the first time it's been quiet enough for us to question the survivors of the town and everyone who fled there. Macarath has seen better days, though the royal family's villa is oddly untouched. Most have been gathering in there, and I believe once the defenses are completely set up, the place will be as fortified as Fort Jinya. Something that's a necessity if these people are going to continue surviving._ _As our army has marched and fought, it had gained something of a reputation. On the road or in towns, people from everywhere volunteer to join us. Nohrians, Hoshidans, Wind Tribesman, Ice Tribesman, Fire Tribesman, Izumoans, Mokoshuans, and even Chevois. More than manpower and skill, they bring information about the movements of the Ungeist._ _The accounts all point to these creatures coming from one place: the Bottomless Canyon. With as many mysterious events that have been taking place in that area, the generals and I see no reason not to believe that's the Ungeist's source. We march to the Bottomless Canyon to try and cut off this threat's head once the defenses of Palace Macarath are complete._

  
     Shigure flipped to the next entry, which simply stated that the army was on the move again. The next entry, however, had slight soot smudges on it, but the words were still clear, the first one almost a punch to a gut.

      _10th day of The Scales, 1479 NR._

      _Failure. Complete and utter failure. The host we met at the Bottomless Canyon was far too numerous for us to even put a dent in. We were forced to break and retreat to the Lava Fields. It will take time for the Ungeist and Faceless to find us here, but our army has been halved, and there is no doubt that they will come. According to those who came to us from Windmire's garrison when they heard we were here, King Garon has also disappeared. That's the entire royal family now. Which means that if Windmire's soldiers come here, the capital will be completely unprotected. It's the same situation in Hoshido. There will be no reinforcements, and as we're the last army that's capable of mobilizing, we will definitely be attacked. The Lava Fields here is the site of this army's last stand._

_General Genji gave a speech to the troops, rallying them for this, saying it is an honor to stand as the last mobile army against this foe. General Lann gave another, saying that it is an honor to die in defense of our homeland- a sentiment I can more than agree with. It's also an honor to die beside our Hoshidan friends and all those who have come this far with us. I can only hope that someone with find this journal and that we can weaken the foe enough that_ _the world will be saved by those who will take up arms to avenge us_ _._

_  
_ "Father..." Shigure's gaze swung to his father, whose gaze had grown serious. "I know that the obelisk lists the names of those who died... and that both generals are up there... but did you defeat Anankos soon enough for at least some of the soldiers to survive?"

     "Well... there's a bit of a story behind that as well," the king admitted. "We were fighting our way through Old Valla, had gotten into Gyges castle. Just before we entered the castle proper, another dead being approached us, holding a white flag. He said he had a message for us, and that it was in our best interests to listen. There was only one of him and several hundred of us, so we agreed." Corrin gestured to the journal. "Apparently, since Anankos's plan to have mankind wipe itself out was clearly not working, he decided to take a more direct approach. What exactly that was, you've read about in Noirtier's account. The intent was to raze all other countries to the ground." He sighed, expression darkening. "I had already seen firsthand what Anankos was capable of just by pulling strings from the shadows, and so I knew that this was no bluff. Takumi immediately demanded an explanation as to why the dragon wanted us to know about this, and the servant replied that the portal to the outside world still wasn't closed, since time moves far more slowly in Old Valla than in the main realm. It was, however, a one-way door, open in Old Valla but closed in the realm above. So we had a choice. We take out Anankos at the cost of our homelands, or we go back home and give up on defeating him for several years, which would probably destroy us anyway."

     "Those were the only two options?" Shigure asked in alarm.

     "The only two  _obvious_ options," Corrin corrected. "Your mother came up with the loophole in Anankos's trap. We could send all but our most elite back through the portal. Those people you know and have heard the most stories about are those elite. We had several other small armies follow us into the Bottomless Canyon, people ranging from the Hoshidans at Fort Jinya who followed Sakura to Scarlet's Chevois resistance. Ryoma was all for this idea, Xander was not. Sending the bulk of the army home while we fought the dragon in his own stronghold would weaken us drastically, you see. Xander insisted that doing so while we were so deep in enemy territory was suicidal, and that a full attack with all our might was the only solution. Ryoma wasn't backing down, though. And so, the decision was dumped into my lap."

  
     "What did you decide?"

     "I decided that I couldn't keep all of those troops in good conscience when they could save so many lives elsewhere." Corrin smiled lightly. "I'd been dealing with Anankos's ways for a long time now, but I knew that it was likely that the people in Hoshido and Nohr had no idea how to fight the Invisible Soldiers. So we would be better off without numbers than they would be, and there's really no point in slaying a dragon to protect the world when at the end of it all, there's nothing to protect. So I said I would send them back. Hastily naming them the "Army of the Three Crowns" and sending them on their way as quickly as possible so that they could prevent as much damage as possible." His light smile turned into a slight grimace. "Though Ryoma was pleased with me for agreeing with him, neither he nor Xander seemed pleased with my choice of names."

 

_"'The Army of the Three Crowns'?" Ryoma repeated in a deadpan tone._

_"That's the best you could come up with?" Xander blurted out, almost sounding affronted._

  
     " _Was_  it the best you could come up with?" Shigure asked, the fact that he was also unimpressed showing clearly on his face.

     "In five seconds, yes," Corrin grumbled, shaking off the memory of his older brothers' faces. "The servant vanished after that, and a rather... interesting discussion followed." The grimace faded to a thoughtful look. "Xander and Leo were both rather critical of my decision, and so was most of the army. Some also sided with Ryoma, though, saying that they'd rather have something to go back home to at the end of all of this. It was Laslow who ended the argument in my favor, saying something that's stuck with me over the years."

     "Laslow?" Shigure blinked. He knew the man was King Xander's retainer, had met him on several occasions. Though he filled his post well, he did not have a reputation for being serious or offering any words of wisdom.

     "I was surprised too." Corrin gave another light smile, the thoughtfulness to his expression still there. "He said, and I quote, ' _We'll be fine. The requirements for defeating a dragon that wants to bring forth the apocalypse are a divine weapon and sixteen men and women that have bonds so tight that they may as well be family. We happen to have five divine weapons, one divine song, two literal families that may as well be one after all we've been through, and far more than sixteen men and women fighting for the cause. We will be able to fight our way through Anankos's stronghold. We will be able to reach the dragon himself. We will be able to fight that dragon. And we will emerge victorious.'_ I know that it sounds like any other motivational speech, but it was the  _way_ that he said it that really caught my attention." He shook his head lightly while Shigure stared at him in fascination. "He said all of those like facts, the certainty in voice clearer than crystal. One only had to look at the silent Selena and Odin to see them smiling knowingly in agreement. No one asked about it. No one argued. We just moved on."

     "...Was it a lot harder?" Shigure asked.

    Corrin's light smile suddenly gained a sharper, darker tinge. "Oh, yes. Definitely. Those troops I sent back to save our homelands were the same ones who'd held our flanks and guarded our rear against enemy reinforcements. Suddenly we were getting surrounded far more easily, fighting back against seemingly impossible odds. So many enemies that I could swear that I cut down a hundred in one day. They weren't impossible, though, and after all the waves of enemies, all of us were still standing. Stronger, prouder, and more united than ever." The dark tinge faded from his expression. "Laslow didn't say it would be easy, he said we would be fine, and he was right. We were more than fine by the time we finally reached Anankos. I will  _never_ regret that decision, no matter how hard the fights were, no matter how long they took. And you know the rest of that story already."

  
     He gestured back to the journal, and Shigure turned back to it, flipping the page again. 

      _11th day of The Scales, 1479 NR._

___I still remember the resignation and fierce pride I felt when writing the last entry, though everything is mostly numb now. Wounds, emotions, all of it. The priests currently looking after what remains of that army that was originally at the Lava Fields pushed me into a tent and basically ordered me to get some sleep- something I'm currently still finding impossible after what happened despite them giving me my own tent and how long I've been awake and running about, which why I'm currently writing in this._

_I suppose I'll begin where I left off. The enemy attacked the dawn after I finished writing what I thought would be the final entry in this book. The onslaught kept coming and coming, all throughout the day and into the night, the waves of enemies we were faced with never ceasing or even slowing. It was then that they broke through our formation completely, no heal staff or tactic could save us from the fatigue of constant battle. After they broke through, it was a slaughter. The only two people able to slow their assault were the generals themselves._ The writing grew slightly shakier here, Shigure's brows scrunching at that realization and a feeling of sadness overtaking him because he knew what it meant.  _And that's all that they could do. Slow down the enemy. Despite all of the destruction they left in their wake, my desperate attempts_ _to keep the enemy from killing them_ _with Fimbulvetr and then Excalibur when Fimbulvetr burned to ashes, and the efforts of the army around them... they were cut down. My comrades, to their credit, kept fighting for their lives even after this, even though the only semblance of leadership on the field were my hoarse shouts. Our cause was truly doomed, something that hadn't hit me as hard as it should have until I saw the bodies of our commanders getting trampled underfoot. We couldn't hold on much longer... the end was no longer near, it was here._

_Or so I thought. Excalibur had begun burning as well, forcing me to toss it aside, leaving me completely defenseless, when suddenly the ranks of the army rippled. Turned around. Gave our soldiers a chance to back away from the fight, and I almost automatically instructed those with weapons to gather around the defenseless in a semicircle. I didn't know what was happening, was too stunned by what I was hearing to really believe it. The shouts in both Hoshidan and Nohrian, the clashing of weapons, the cries for Hoshido, for Nohr, and for Valla. The wyverns appeared in the air, moments later, in the colors of the Chevois. Some of them landing by our side, a malig knight handing me a fire tome, telling me that we weren't out of the fight yet, that we just had to hold out for a little while longer. That Prince Corrin was working on a permanent solution, along with the rest of both royal families._

_This wasn't a last stand._ The writing grew steadier here, it's usual crisp, concise script.  _The generals hadn't died for nothing. We just had to hold out. It hit me like a punch to the gut, and I was immediately shouting orders again, saying that we still had a chance. Saying that we would survive if we just kept fighting. The sight of the reinforcements was a better rejuvenator than any healing magic or sleep could have been. And so we continued to fight for another several long hours, not daring to stop, not daring to let these creatures gain the edge on us again. It didn't matter that there were so many anymore. The wyverns and pegasi kept flying supplies and additional troops to our side of the field, keeping most of the original army safe, even if they fainted from exhaustion._

_Then, as if someone had cut their strings, all of the Invisible Soldiers- what the reinforcements called the Ungeist- simply dropped. Thudded to the ground and simply dissolved. The Faceless, as if awakening from a trance, either stood dumbstruck and were killed in a matter of seconds or fled from the field of battle. Finally showing us the host of faces surrounding us, people from all walks of life in both countries, presided over by a Hoshidan general and a Nohrian tactician that a kinshi knight was quick to usher me towards. I'm fairly certain that I was a stammering, weeping mess at that point, because the general gently sat me down and offered me some tea while the tactician was quick to organize the army into an orderly camp and direct healers to all of the injured. I faintly remember asking what they were doing there and how Prince Corrin had known we needed a miracle- and what was his point to all of this anyhow?- once I'd calmed down enough to do so. He explained that these people were those that had either followed the prince himself or those members of the royal family, border guard, and Chevois resistance that had sworn themselves to his command. Once the prince had heard of our plight, he'd immediately sent The Army of Three Crowns back through the portal from Old Valla- something the general's assured me that he'll explain once I don't look like I'm about to fall on my face at any moment- and they'd fought their way up toward us once emerging from the Bottomless Canyon. He also said he'd explain the prince's motivations for doing all he'd done later._

_I muttered something to the effect of perhaps giving the man too much credit as a diabolical traitor if he couldn't come up with a better name than "The Army of Three Crowns," and though the general chuckled in agreement, he did say that the prince was more concerned with getting the army through the portal._

Shigure looked up at his father. "I'm never going to hear the end of that name," Corrin muttered. "Excuse me for not being more careful with words when I had so much more on my plate." 

     Shigure grinned, turning back to the journal.  _I asked for his help with interring both General Lann and General Genji with honor, and he assured me that all those who died here would be remembered, those two especially. After telling me he wanted the tale behind this once I was feeling up to it, he dismissed me so that I could check on the men and get some rest. There are 102 survivors of the original army in total, 75 who aren't currently in critical condition._

_Scratch that, there are 80 who aren't in critical condition. The tactician just came in, she said that she'd had a suspicion that I wouldn't be able to sleep without some sort of a push, due to the fact that I'd likely passed the border of tired to restless. So she had a tonic made. I'm handing the journal to her after drinking it, everything about what happened between us marching to the border to now is in there after all. It will be easier and faster than me explaining, and she's assured me that she'll return it._

Shigure flipped the page again, blinking when he saw the date at the top of the page being five months later.  _The monument is finished, far more quickly than I expected, but then, the world is still slightly being turned on its head. In a good way, however. The King and Queen of New Valla were the ones who dedicated these grounds, and both the kings of Hoshido and Nohr gave speeches commemorating those who had died, the generals especially. I had my doubts at first, since it was the royalty who began this war in the first place, but with all that they've done since the war, I can now truly believe that this realm is on the path to peace and will continue on that way. And I can feel my old friends smiling down at me._

_It seems like such a long time ago. For many of the people I met in those days, the war was over. Some of them went home, others chose to join the burgeoning kingdom of New Valla. Many, tragically, did not make it. From time to time, people ask me if I was a hero. When that happens, I think about the people who gave their lives, fighting alongside former enemies against a foe that none understood. They were the heroes. I don’t know how, or why, I survived. But, I keep their memory alive. I owe that to them. We all do, for what they did._

     "Amen." Corrin gently took the book from Shigure, standing and placing back in the display. Shigure stood and followed his father over to the obelisk, where they both looked up at it. Corrin's expression was a mix of wistfulness and pride, a serious expression that Shigure rarely saw. "For those who did not live to see the peace, but nonetheless were crucial to bringing it- we both thank you for and promise to remember all that you've done."

     He clapped a fist to his chest, the dull thud resounding throughout the shrine. Shigure stood straight and copied the movement, wincing when his fist actually hit and pain blossomed both in his chest and hand. His father quickly looked toward him, a grin breaking out on his face, and the moment was over as soon as it had begun. "You might be too small to be doing such salutes," Corrin chuckled, scooping him up and carrying him toward the entrance of the shrine. "Anyhow, I took the liberty of asking the driver to get you a strawberry parfait, since I still think your mother may need more time to cool off. Granted that you're not sick of stories-"

     "I'm never sick of stories, Father," Shigure replied, blinking as they stepped into the afternoon sunlight, pleasantly surprised that his father had remembered his favorite type of parfait.

     "Thought not," Corrin chuckled, nodding to the driver as he came toward them with the small cup. "We'll just be a bit longer, Auberon. Shigure wants to hear about how Jakob confessed to Flora just after the war ended."

     "As you say, sire," the driver replied with a small smile to Shigure as he carefully took the sweet treat, glad to see that there was already a small spoon inside.

     "We're done with the heavy topics and are back to funny romance stories, huh?" Shigure asked as his father set him down on the steps of the monument.

     "You're already far too mature for being five years old, kiddo," Corrin replied, plopping down next to him with a small sigh, still grinning. "Too many heavy topics will just speed that maturity along much too fast. And besides, this one is  _hilarious._ "

     Shigure couldn't help grinning, digging into the sweet treat as his father began explaining that Jakob had confessed to Flora in the middle of the astral castle's living room. Father described how Jakob's confession to Flora had caused the latter to trigger a literal blizzard of happiness in there, and the chaos that had ensued afterwards.. Despite being unable to keep from laughing at the descriptions, the monument and Noirtier's words about keeping the memory of those who had died during the war alive were both still on his mind. He didn't often see his father as the king he truly was, the general he'd been before he'd hung up the Fire Emblem and had become a father. Even with the family history, he hadn't realized how widespread and important his father's journey and decisions had been. How large his legacy was, what exactly he would have to uphold one day. 

  
     So he'd wait to grow up, like Corrin had suggested. He'd enjoy his parfait and the story, not that that was a difficult decision. After all, even in the strange world they lived in, it wasn't every day that one heard a story about an indoor blizzard.


End file.
